‌Uniper and Microsoft form partnership to accelerate energy transformation through AI

Uniper is intensifying its collaboration with Microsoft to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI). Uniper aims to become a global leader in the application of AI in the energy industry, integrating it into all major business processes to make them more efficient. Energy networks are predicted to become more volatile, decentralized, less carbon-intensive, and more interconnected with other sectors than today and AI is becoming a crucial component for transforming the energy system.

It helps optimise energy trading and the use of various generation types, makes maintenance and servicing of plants more efficient and cost-effective, and better meets customer needs.

The collaboration between Microsoft and Uniper focuses on identifying, evaluating, and implementing specific use cases, as well as establishing an AI lab at Uniper's Düsseldorf site, with the participation of Celonis Process Intelligence which could have implications for its activities in the UK.

Uniper began using Celonis five years ago to drive operational excellence across its global energy business. Since then, Uniper has successfully implemented Celonis across 27 processes, connecting 8 source systems and supporting more than 350 active users.

A key focus is the further development of company-wide data strategy, integrating different source materials, and ensuring high data quality.

Microsoft is expected to contribute its experience with cross-industry technology solutions and the latest developments in AI.

The partnership includes clearly defined criteria regarding data protection and security policies, ensuring the security of the data used in AI applications is maintained at all times and stored on servers within the EU.

 A central pillar of the collaboration between Uniper and Microsoft is also promoting a culture that supports AI as a tool for collaboration. Only if employees trust the security and reliability of AI applications can they fully realize their potential. Microsoft will bring experiences from other industries into the development of corresponding programs to make AI an integral part of the modern working environment at Uniper.

 Uniper and Microsoft have been successfully collaborating for several years to drive digital transformation. Over the past eight years, Uniper has been a pioneer in replacing old data centres and implementing a cloud-first strategy, introducing the AI assistant Microsoft Copilot for all employees, and the use of edge computing has improved the security of power plants.

Today, Uniper uses AI specifically in power plants to optimize operations and make critical know-how accessible to the plant team at all times. With AI-supported management systems in Microsoft's Azure Cloud, operating teams can quickly access relevant technical references, shortening decision-making times and maintenance programmes.

“Our strategic partnership with Microsoft opens up possibilities that were unthinkable until recently. I am convinced that we can accelerate the energy transition and increase our productivity and competitiveness by scaling up the use of AI. The benefits of using AI are obvious to us and already give us a tailwind in many areas by optimizing business processes and strategic tasks. Together with Microsoft, we will develop further use cases step by step and make Uniper one of the leading AI companies in the energy sector”, said Jutta Dönges, CFO Uniper.

From left : Jutta Dönges, Alexander Rinke (co-founder, Celonis) and Agnes Heftberger.

“Uniper is a pioneer when it comes to strategically anchoring Artificial Intelligence and quickly and comprehensively implementing it in practice. Impressive examples of this are the early rollout of M365 Copilot for all employees and the use of AI in power plant operations and energy trading. We look forward to expanding and intensifying our long-standing and trusting collaboration.

We are convinced that by using AI in a targeted manner, we can significantly accelerate the digital transformation of the energy industry and thus make a significant contribution to the energy transition”, added Agnes Heftberger, CEO, Microsoft Germany.

North Killingholme

In the UK, Uniper owns and operates a flexible generation portfolio of power stations, a fast-cycle gas storage facility and two high pressure gas pipelines.

Plans are being developed by Uniper to build a carbon capture plant alongside a planned combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station as part of the proposed Killingholme Low Carbon Power (KLCP) project at North Killingholme, on the Humber.

Last year, Uniper announced that it had purchased land from C.GEN Killingholme Ltd next to its existing power station site at Killingholme. The land came with planning consent for the development of a new CCGT power station (formerly known as the North Killingholme Power Project).

Uniper is now consulting on plans to develop the carbon capture plant alongside the planned CCGT power station, to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions produced during the electricity generation process.